The rumor mill has been in full swing over the adaptation of Stephen King’s epic The Stand recently. Mainly the rumors concern possible cast, but Badass Digest recently chimed in on how the movie version will end. Even the most diehard King fan has to admit, sometimes the man has trouble stickin’ the landing.
(possible spoilers follow)
Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) is currently reworking David Kajganich’s original script. Devin of Badass reveals how that original draft ended:
In this version, from last year, the good guy survivors from Boulder get together in an army and march on Las Vegas to kill Randall Flagg. Flagg’s headquarters is, of course, the Luxor Pyramid. The Boulderites invade the city while, off to the east, a squad fights at the Boulder Dam – which Trashcan Man explodes, killing Larry Underwood and sending a deadly flood to Vegas. In the city Flagg squares off against hero Stu Redman… who now has the power of God, and they have an Akira-like battle on the Las Vegas Strip, with Flagg trying to take Stu’s magic. Cars are thrown, Excalbur’s turrets are tossed, the people of Vegas are used by Flagg as disposable cannon-fodder. Meanwhile Nick Andros sacrifices his life taking out a howitzer. The Boulder forces, while armed, try to only take prisoners and rescue people from being under Flagg’s evil spell. It all comes down to Flagg and Stu, and whether or not Stu will absorb Flagg’s evil magic.
This is WAY more action packed than King’s original ending. For anyone who’s seen the mini-series from 1994, you can attest to how silly it translated to screen.
What do you guys think? Should Boone keep this big Hollywood showdown of an ending? Or go with the *ahem* “hand of God”? Or something else entirely?